When Steve Bruce found his inner Frank Sinatra on Friday and declared that from now on he was going to do it "my way", he probably did not have a 3-0 defeat at Arsenal in mind.
Perhaps Bruce's words were designed to provoke a response from his players, but Monday's loss extended a winless run to nine games and they have only scored once in their past seven.
The 60-year-old said the "gloves would come off" before his team's trip to Emirates Stadium, but as his players trudged off at the end, they might seek their safety blankets again.